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Sixteen year old Chelsea Martin’s life is about to get turned upside down. Chelsea’s father informs her that his job has transferred him and he is getting remarried. Chelsea wants to part of her dad’s plans and she especially does not want to get to know her soon to be step mother, Kate. Though, once Chelsea does get to know Kate she likes her. In fact, Kate takes Chelsea on a shopping spree for a new make over. The transformation is great. It seems that others have noticed Chelsea’s make over as well. The others being guys. Chelsea has never received so much attention from all these guys. This would not be such a bad thing if it weren’t for the simple fact that the guys are jerks!

The Jerk Magnet is book one of the Life at Kingston High series. I have read several books by this author. She writes for the young adult genre. I think that Melody does a good job portraying the emotions and what type of situations a teen goes though.

Written a bit into the future, Blind Traveler’s Blues explores agri-science as it will be known. There is a corn plaque, casting millions in South America into starvation and death. The world is fraught with earthquakes, nearly daily and, depending on where you live, possibly great damage.

Douglas Abledan is taking his first vacation since being shot and blinded several years ago. He now uses all of his senses to survive and get around in the chaotic world we have become. He uses a sonic cane which leads him with vibrations. He can read Braille and major steps have been made to convenience folks with “issues” as Douglas has.

On the flight to Chicago, Douglas meets Dr. Cara Cordelia – a botanist heading up one group in a convention to try to find a cure for the corn disease. They hit it off and make plans to meet later after both are settled. She has tea on their flight to calm her nerves and Douglas enjoys the minty aroma. They part at the airport and plan to meet for sup…

Jasmine Larson Bush never imagined that she could become the first lady. The first lady of the American Baptist Coalition (ABC) that is. Her husband Hosea informs Jasmine that he has been nominated by the church to represent the North division for the ABC. Now all Jasmine can picture is all the things she will do once she is the first lady. Though, first her husband has to win and he is running against Rachel’s husband, Lester.

Rachel can not wait until she becomes the first lady. Than she can hang out with Michelle…Obama that is! Rachel knows she is the right woman for the job. Besides what type of woman is Jasmine that her secrets can by found on the website Dirt Diggers? When the current first lady of the ABC will not step down without a fight, will Jasmine and Rachel band together to take down the current first lady or will it be every woman for herself?

I read The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil by Ms. Murray and enjoyed it. So when I read about this collaboration she did with new t…

Piper Donovan is a cake maker. Piper receives a phone call from Jillian Abernathy. Jillian is the owner of Elysium, an exclusive spa. Jillian is getting married and wants Piper to make her wedding cake. Both Piper’s father and her good friend, Jack don’t think that Piper should take the job. It could be because someone does not want Jillian to get married. In fact, Jillian’s poor maid was the recipient of a face full of acid that was meant for Jillian. Despite all the warnings, Piper heads to Elysium.

The Look of Love is book two in the Wedding Cake Mysteries series. You do not have to read book one to jump right into this book. Piper is kind of like Nancy Drew. She always finds herself in the middle of trouble. One of the funniest moments was when Piper’s father a retired cop was sitting down with Piper going over the emergency kit, he had put together for Piper that included an acid protective apron, instructions on all the different acids and poisons there are and how to survive the…

Swiss OSS agents, Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler are on a very important mission. They are to recover one of famous artist, Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpieces…The Mona Lisa. Gabi and Eric must retrieve the Mona Lisa before the German’s take it and this piece of art is lost forever. Though, Gabi, Eric and the Germans are not the only ones interested in owing the famous lady. Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring also wants the smiling lady and will do everything in his powers to claim her.

I read The Swiss Courier by Goyer and Yorkey. I enjoyed that book. While, I did like this book as well, it had plenty of action and authenticity; there was just something about this book that I found myself not really getting into. I think it was the fact that even though the story moved along right from the beginning, the story did not feel like it really began until about mid way. Prior to that, it felt like a lot of dialect and set up to the story line. My favorite person was Gabi. She held her ground and…

I was interested to read this book because I am fascinated by war and the different military branches. While, I can understand there being secrecy to things that any military person is held to, when they come out of the military that they cannot share; I was still hoping that I would have gotten to experience more about what it was like to be a sniper in the military fighting our enemies.

I felt more like this biography was of Mr. Kyle’s life than of his career in the military as a sniper. There was some snippets of Mr. Kyle’s ability as a sniper but there were few and far between. It felt like this book was kind of censored. In fact, I started this book and than put it down and walked away form it for quite some time. I would pass it and think I need to pick this book up again and give it another try. I did give it another try but barely. I skimmed over Mr. Kyle’s personal story and after a while, I just went to the end of the book to see final thoughts. I can tell you that I did not…

Pelecanos’s most beloved character, Derek Strange, is back. It’s Washington, D.C. in 1972 and Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank "Hound Dog" Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn's turf, where a local drug addict has been murdered, shot point-blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn't have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out - he doesn't care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way. Rich with details of place and time - the cars, the music,…

Check out these beautiful book covers. The details just pop off the covers and the colors are eye catching. This is something that I have to give two thumbs up to Seventh Star Press, they sure do know how to create a book cover. Plus, they can produce some great books.

Seventh Star Press proudly announces the reissues of the first two books in The Brotherhood of Dwarves series, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, and Red Sky at Dawn.

To commemmorate the Seventh Star Press editions of these two titles, the publisher is offering special bundles that combine both the print and eBook versions of the books. Readers can get the first two books in this fashion, or a bundle of all three books in the series including the recently-released third title, The Fall of Dorkhun.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves and Red Sky at Dawn feature covers and illustrations from fantasy artist Bonnie Wasson. The latest artist to work with Seventh Star Press, Bonnie created and designed a new look for the first two titles that i…

Before we are inspired about how to show love to others, we must first ask why?

Quite simply it is because in Romans 12:10 & 13 we are told to be devoted to one another in brotherly love, to honor one another above ourselves. We are also told to share with God’s people who are in need and to Practice Hospitality. Notice the vocabulary: practice, not perfect.

In America, as a culture and as individuals, we are suffering in part because popular media gears everything to perfection. We are bombarded with messages that if we aren’t the very best at something, we just shouldn’t bother. We compare ourselves to others, rather than knowing our worth in God’s eyes.

I suffer from insecurity and wonder if I can be creative enough to inspire. Are my tips original? Are the photographs beautiful enough? Are my suggestions too simple for some, but too fancy for another? The problem: my thoughts revolve completely aro…

The New York Times is reporting today that the most popular and enduring roleplaying game of all time is set for yet another makeover. Even though a new edition of D&D was released in 2008, Wizards of the Coast is set to release a 5th edition. However, unlike the controversial 4th edition of the game, this time the Dungeon Masters at Wizard of the Coast are asking for fan input!

According to Liz Schuh, director of publishing and licensing for Dungeons & Dragons:

“We’re really lucky that we have such passionate fans and we anticipate they’ll roll up their sleeves and help us in this effort.”

A testing period will be open for a significant amount of time after the new editions is finalized a move the powers at Wizard of the Coast are hoping will assuage any fan fears of over-simplified rules or any other emphasis that might perceive as being wrong. Specifically, this new effort is centered around the notion for face-to-face interaction between gamers in a traditional tabletop play …

This month I’ll be giving away the entire Hollywood Headlines series for FREE (yes, absolutely free, no strings attached, no contest to enter) on Amazon Kindle, starting with book #1 Hollywood Scandals. Here’s the freebie schedule:

The day my husband gave up work turned out to be a good one for our family. Five years ago Andy gave up a city job to become an archaeologist. Money was tight so, instead of exotic holidays, we took the children to Norfolk, England, where I had holidayed as a child. And it was there that Andy's new career gave me the idea for my first crime novel.

We were walking a marsh on the North Norfolk coast when Andy mentioned that prehistoric man had seen marshland as sacred. Because it's neither land nor sea, but something in-between, they had seen it as a kind of bridge to the afterlife. The entire plot for The Crossing Places came to me in that instant.

His work on a Roman villa gave me the idea for The Janus Stone and his excavation of a beach threatened by erosion gave me the location for my new book, The House at Sea's End.

Giles Beaumont is stuck in a role he never wanted, trying to safeguard a woman of incendiary powers who doesn’t think she needs a protector.

Cecily Sutton has no idea of the enormity of her true task and no inkling of the effect she’s having on Giles. But somewhere along their perilous journey together, they’ll have no choice but to uncover the deep, dark connection that binds them one to the other…

Lose yourself in renowned author Kathryne Kennedy’s gorgeous love story set in a lush world made of equal parts wonder and danger.

Kathryn Kennedy's thrilling conclusion to the Elven Lords Series, The Lord of Illusion, releases in February. Check out The Lady of the Storm first!

Joseph needed to heal himself. It may not have been possible at the time to heal his physical injuries but mentally and physically he needed to get with it or he would pass on. Joseph was a troubled child that grew into a troubled young man, with nightmares that would keep him from falling into a deep sleep.

Warriors trying to kill him, horses, and people all putting Joseph’s life in peril. Joseph works out daily. He was strong and healthy…physically. He was a feared Karate champion and was at the top of his game until his last tournament where he lost miserably. As if the embarrassment of losing wasn’t enough, he was involved in a horrible truck crash on the way home.

In a coma, Joseph tries to fight through the haze until he succeeds; Joseph awakes but ends up leaving in a wheelchair that will be his life’s companion. He remembers a man he spoke with in the locker room before and after his match. His name is Lahiri. Somehow, Joseph feels a need to search for this man. S…

Nathan Sommers had great intentions when he allowed himself to be convinced to move to Silver Creek by his wife. She was expecting, wanted to be “home”, all the usual. He was in love with Jennifer and would move earth to make her happy. Nathan tried to stop Jennifer from leaving but she wouldn’t listen. She drove off and ended up wrapping her car around a tree, killing herself and her unborn child.

The fact that the Mayor of Silver Creek was Jennifer’s father didn’t help things any. Nathan could do nothing right and was thinking of leaving when the killings began. All alike in pattern, two punctures, 3” apart on each female victim. That is the only clue to soloving the murders. This was not good as the Mayor is getting very testy for an arrest.

Nathan and his team were doing all that they could withint their powers. It was hard what with keeping up on all the other reports like the usual cat-up-a-tree reports, drunks wandering in the streets and the new bakery owner’s cat…

Coco Guthrie is the owner of Butt B Gone. It is as you can guess from the name a butt cream for ridding you of your junk in the trunk. Coco is talked into attending a Halloween costume party. She goes as Sarah Palin. It seems that Coco was not the only one who decided to dress as Sarah. She is met face to face with three other Sarah’s. The others just so happen to attend the same yoga class that Coco does. They form a friendship. Coco and the other Sarahs decide to go over next store to the mayor’s house for a look. The women get more than they bargain for. They spot the mayor wrapping a woman’s body up in a rug. Now the women must try to keep themselves out of hot water before they end up wrapped in a rug themselves.

I thought this book sounded like a fun read. I was sure that I would find some laughs, which was what I wanted. While I did laugh a few times, I also found myself quickly getting turned off by the characters. In fact, I read a few chapters of this book during lunch and p…